Fan-tailed Raven

Corvus rhipidurus

Least ConcernRareOmnivoreGrasslandCup nestLarge · 611 g

About the Fan-tailed Raven

The fan-tailed raven is a passerine bird of the crow family native to Eastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

ID tip

The fan-tailed raven is completely black including bill, legs and feet and the plumage has a purplish-blue gloss in good light. Worn plumage is slightly coppery-brown. The base of the feathers on the upper neck are white and only seen if the bird is inspected or a strong gust blows them the wrong way. The throat hackles are shorter than in most other ravens. One of the smaller raven species, it is about the same size or slightly larger than the carrion crow, at 47–51 cm, but with a much thicker bill, shorter tail and much larger wings.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it lives

Regular rangeRare visitor

Recorded as a rare visitor in South Sudan, Nigeria, United Arab Emirates.

When to see it

Peak activity in November · a resident species across most of its range

Easily confused with

Learn the Fan-tailed Raven for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

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